The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1887-10-21
How Samuel ID. HICEDeTy
Justly Earned the
Title.
a Record 81 Constant Nf8rk and
Brilliant achievement.
ssHe who Maketh Two Blades Of
Grass Grow Where One GroN
Befors Is Ereater Than He
VINO Takath Gities.D

Why is Gov. lf6Ensry known as 'sthi
I,svee Bovernor9a lei fhs facts answer.
GOV. slcFnery succeeded b 80 Governor
rl,i, On Inc death az Gov. Miltz on Get. II,
1851 Owing 70 the fact that the appropr1a-
siana Nv the Jeeislatnre had largely eK-
eesded the rnyeBues the financial affairs q
s1,e {Jtate,Eere in such q coEdiiiaE that Hpe-
risl session Of the General Assembly became
necessary. AeoordinglY, Coy. Alclansry
esilsd + together Dec. 8. IN his Iaessaga 20
that batI thns early In hiH administration no
allowed lis soliciiude toward the leFee M
terests Of the State, and insisted That the fall
amount allowed ~ the Constitution tone
min should be appropriated by the heElsiA-
fare for leree purposes IN addition q %
much Of the swamp land and drainssse fund
a. was not needed 10 maintain the oiice Of
Register of State Lands.
This poliey ia1layor Of The construct IN
and rpaintenance OF the lsvoes so early in
surnratsd has been steadily followed 70 the
present time with what benefits to the State
let the rao0rd show. Before the policy could
re fairly prit ia operation gsvBe bniiaing for
.taa season being practically al al end, owing
- bhe rise az the river. when Gov. McEnery
manned the gabernatofial chair the great
flood Of 1889 oanao upon the State causing
lfidespread disaster, and direct money AOss
in crops destroyed, stock drowned, ferns
washed away, etc, Of not less than So GEO.
600, thus abuidantly justifylRg the Gov
ernqras nasitiun that every available dollar
that the State could raise for the PURPOSE
Hhould 81 devoted 10 building and strength
epine The lspees The Governor WIS prompt
10 come to tho relief OF the sufferers By the
food, and although there was no relief fund
available, be did mot hesitate to contract
-obligations for food and other relief for the
unfortul1ntsB. His action met tho universal
approval Of the people, and was promptly
Faiiiiaa 5y the Legislature when mat hoay
Tie hood had moi entirely pascal from the
State, leaving widespread debqlatlon and
rnin II its track. When tho Legislature as
seuahled. In his message the Governor again
strongly urged the neceRsl Lies 81 the ieFees,
and insisted that u Was EDe q llty Of the gem
eral government to come to the assistance Of
the State in the matter, hoialng ttlat 1t WAS
case IN which favorable action on the part OF
Congress- NRH not oItiy lustltiea' but ll2ls7r1-
However, Gov. McRnery
DID NOT WAIT ron FEDERAL AID.
BE recognized that the suEest help was self
help, and bent every energy 20 rebulld tho
broken le8aes aud pat them in order for the
high water Of 1888. he succeeded meas
Grhh1y; DUB Ahe nOuu OF IAb5S Alhl Ddt5a hn
destruesiRer sweeping away hundreds gt
miles Of lsEseE, that the full accomplish
nisnt of the work WAS Impossible with the
limited means at command. The tlnod OF
1883 came, And, although less disastrous than
fhe one that had preceded it, proved very
destructive, and caused those who saw their
property again swept awEy TO despair OF re-
Lief from she invading WateTs, Coy. Nc
sn649s y fsbdd tha ieTess and ageft ffon
the State the disastrous e0nHeQHenoeg Of
overflow. He saw that what RAB TO be done
znust be done quickly in order TO tAkO sd-
vantage Of thR legee-bulldAng season. He
also saw taat the funds at command of tAe
State " ere ent4rely inadequate 90 the plFp0se
in view What was TO be dome? The. Lesis-
1atuEe WOuld not meet In regular BssBion for
q year and there was q strong popular septl-
ment against special session. In this
emergency the Governor determined to 8p-
peal to Tie people themselves He, therefare,
issued q call fer 3 convention to meet At
Baton Rouge June lS, 1883, and 20 be
composed OF Delegates sglaelel 3y the yHrl-
GUS POLICE jpE1es and the City Council Of
New Orleans. Tbs OBJECT Of tha eenyen-
tOp as announced In the cal, was the
mAlntalning' rephITlng and building Of
cal system 30 prevent and close eFeYasses;
the adoption OF a plan 10 prevent the cutting
Ct lePees for roadaayB and the uss Of theIn
Ier h5g ts and q sas me e. i 70 he en-
ton Of the Mississippi TiFer.n
The convention, IaIROagRs
THE LEYEE CONVENTION,
met at the tina appointed. 1t was G0InNosAd
Of the representative men Of tbs State, its
peTEo1sieI possessing An influence such as has
been Wlelded by the membership OF lew
bodies an the State. The moral support Of
such q boay Of men meant the moral support
freely and heHitatingly rendered The Coy.
seTDoT in the eInerG HDCy which had called the
convention into LIE.
GOV. RiESEBy's VIEWS
AZ 10 the course to be pursued to save The
State from further disaster and to provide
an effective leYee RFstem, were fuily set fortt
in o message he sent to tho convention, IIhis
message was az follows:
ExEaUEIyE pERARZaII.NIt sTArE or LoUIgIkEkl
RHtoh Rouge June 1si 1893 3
'iGentlenen- The people Of LauiRiana az,
more ylsallE lnterestsd in INSTRUMENTATION d
leFees than In any d thsr public HoIls With
ont an elleotuRl leYee system our valuable
and pIodnetlse altuyiRI lands Will baroms
worthless. HENCE have Thought il advise
bio 70 issue q call lot a Levee CauY "
Eaeet IN tbis CITY to5dayi the 1sth OF June.
tDlsiln 6 alhned engineers and citizens iron
other States Interested ia the leVee systapl 3
this State have been invited 10 attend, All
arc present to participate and aasist IN YOU
deliberations.
Your attention ID invited TO tbe spscifl
objects tqr which THIS con YentiQn 10 eallad:
n. the INAUGURATION OF UlRm 10 pIeYea
nc cutting Ct leTees aud the use q them q
II is needless 10 point ont the danger
which result from the cutting Of legees 10
passage NAYS aud tbs use 0f thepa as high
Ways Ahsy are known to every on
who resides 2n leYea district. ia,
pg5 raadways are not elbssd upti
ut late moment. and then Ia 81 iueffciea
and careless lsiapner. Tbs uHs Of the leyeel
leyees have been reduced to their pTesen
InsslFilt, aYeIag1 "a one toob below the eGtTeInt
In tae Rbseneeof legislation adequate Il
FH4Dt(iW EElN 5s1rg tHlfl..
qnested 20 pT9Fide such local means tlrnagh
local an teotl ties as artIl prevent il until IN
next session ut tue General Assembly, Nheli
s9itael9 Legislation VIII undoubtedly b
w Maintaining and repair Of leEees.
Ioulslana has to receive the drainage 81
y. W, o49 square miles, ard this has Vi be
threuqh iLle Of leyees coItiniug tho river
10 lts channel. That ii sa prAo tieah n 30 IA
eqIfna shla East volume past experience las
ltieiiilq, hnte pArtlai line Of leFees
'TEE EgTRE Iuizl
las 70 Do. constructed With sniiessut gheiahi
enu base to Withstand tic water
he iinqqnt % money rasnirad 10 do this
asat present Beyond the Anancia Cord IN
Of tie State, DHs the aIroilnt 1ifii "A 80
~ aaFee a. ~ Pa beyond the hopas " xesliz.
ffheEe are loa5 aaiIgs Of lssee q Ibis
eippl Ihefs isa h6peasity fof Eiosi5iF ~
E,tpa and Of rebuilding tlio ksht1a, piafaeslti
Island kogEeEe aud Aipfg MA IaFseA.
he gar q Aie,s.s5a lza MI iFzy . tllrsatsn
tlis sst aefae- he aaiPr going l6roush
fae sssyaAae az texigls tlsrQligh K ON y e onriee
4ne g her qarlf lEa, a sclalse the base 81 -
Eq4s lqts tke Raiar faaShes K ili
es ea q rslstnlt Almost b6gosd oaloais
ap AreAli ~ AeAtqn a1orr zsag osnss-
qtiiig an tta ssalfass 1,til n
Yes =. l9tHt aft ~ rssn1gf ii
aS isI3 81 .l.